MANAonline
Machinga District Council on clean-up exercise
By Charlie Ligomreka
Machinga, August 10, Mana: Machinga District Council, Environmental Officer, Andrew Kaitano Hamza has called on fellow council members of staff to keep council premises and all market places clean to ensure that plastic and other forms of garbage are properly disposed of for better work and trade environment.
The environmental district officer made the call as he led council staff in a clean-up exercise of the council headquarters premises and said the clean-up exercise should be an obligation for a better environment.
The exercise was part of a campaign which State President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera introduced for local councils and other entities plus the general public to keep doing as a norm to keep work places, market places and other public places cleaner of liter and other garbage.
“This is our council and everywhere we live is our place. There is need to take clean up exercises as a norm to keep our work place cleaner,” Hamza added as he and fellow council members of staff took blooms to clean Machinga Council Headquarters premises clean.
He also called on the council staff to exercise cleanliness in their respective homes to ensure they live in a better clean environment at home and at work.
One of the council staff Aisha Lupanga described the clean-up exercise as ideal and relevant for conducive work environment saying, “Time is now for us to make our environment clean and to make Liwonde township liter and garbage free,”
She therefore, expressed hope that the council management will keep on championing the clean-up campaign at district level to instill a spirit of cleanliness among council staff, Liwonde town residents and among people that trade in various market places for sustainable cleaner environment.
In one of the clean-up exercises, Machinga District Council staff mobilized Liwonde central market vendors to clean up the market place and vendors welcomed the exercise and pledged to keep it going for a cleaner business environment.
Mzuzu City Council invests CDF into road infrastructure
By George Bulombola
Mzuzu, August 10, Mana: Mzuzu City Council (MCC) utilizing Constituency Development Fund launched four road infrastructure road projects to the tune of about MK41 million.
The projects include construction of three slab culverts and one timber decked bridge in Mzilawaingwe, Chimaliro and Katawa locations.
Speaking when the council handed over the projects’ sites to contractors alongside launching the projects, Director of Planning and Development for the MCC, Philemon Maseko, said the projects are meant to ease communication in the targeted areas and the city as a whole.
“Let me commend community members in these locations for their patience in awaiting the implementation of these projects which were supposed to be done some time back. I also applaud collaboration amongst various development structures which prioritized these project as crucial ones,” said Maseko.
He then warned community members against theft of construction material or conniving with contractors to divert the material for personal use saying such a vice could lead to compromised standard of the structures.
“The council has put in place proper mechanism to ensure that supervision of construction works is strict and that scope of the works should be closely followed by the council and community members themselves so that we have durable structures,” he said.
Director of Mphamba Construction Ltd which has been awarded a contract to build Chiputula slab culvert, Haswell Mphamba pledged that the company will deliver to the expectation of the community and the council.
Councilor for Chiputula Ward, Hilwett Mkandawire, said once the project is completed, the road which is a short-cut for people of Mzilawaingwe, Chimaliro and Katawa locations to Lubinga Industrial Area and Mzuzu Central Hospital will become usable.
IOM commits to enhance safe migration pathways
By Moses Nyirenda
Lilongwe, August 10, Mana: International Organization for Migration (IOM) Malawi says it is committed to enhancing safe migration pathways for local as well as international migrants.
Speaking on the sidelines of a consultative Workshop, which IOM Malawi organized in Lilongwe recently together with its partners IOM Malawi Head of Programme Support, Alina Zalewski said with their move among other things they want to make sure that the migrants are protected.
“We want to ensure that Malawians and all migrants that are coming into Malawi as well as Malawians going abroad have safe access and safe pathways so that they remain protected and not exploited.
“The exploitation that I am talking about includes; smuggling of migrants or trafficking in persons and we want to ensure that these things should not happen in Malawi,” Zalewski said.
She added that as an organization they want also to help government in disaster risk management by building sustainable resilience interventions so that people should not be forced to move due to impacts of natural disasters.
She also said that as IOM they want also to work with the Ministry of Homeland Security in framing migration policy and national labor migration policy in order for the policies to effectively control migration to directly link with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Zalewski further said that IOM also wants to facilitate the implementation of Global Compact for Migration (GCM) in the country in order to strengthen the country’s migration governance, which includes the enhancement of access to safe migration pathways.
According to her, with their commitment they want to assist government to use migration as an opportunity that would harness potential for boosting the country’s economic growth.
In his comment Ministry of Homeland Security, Principal Secretary Steve Kayuni hailed IOM for its commitment in helping government in migration management especially on regular migration.
“Regular migration is the most crucial thing that is of concern, but IOM is helping to make things move forward,” he said.
Malawi Posts Corporation and MUST sign lease agreement on new campus in Blantyre
By Evance Chisiano
Blantyre, August 10, Mana: The Malawi Posts Corporation (MPC) and Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST) have signed a lease agreement for MUST to operate in Blantyre campus at MPC premises at Chichiri as the university is driving towards expansion outside Ndata campus in Thyolo district.
Postmaster General, Angel Banda and MUST Vice Chancellor, Professor Address Malata signed the lease agreement with each seeing the agreement as an opportunity to socio economic development in terms of revenue mobilization and courier services on the part of MPC and tertiary education expansion for MUST.
Banda said the agreement was in line with Malawi Posts Cooperation’s turnaround strategy, which is meant to improve operational efficiency and turning the corporation’s underutilized assets into profitable assets of economic value.
The Postmaster General described the signing agreement as a positive step in the right direction and regarded MUST as an important partner.
“We are happy to have MUST as partner. Having MUST here in Blantyre is a right decision because we will also benefit from this agreement especially on our courier services,” she added.
MUST will run the Chichiri campus for Open Distance Learning and other under and post graduate programmes thereby taking tertiary education closer to people.
“MUST is clocking ten years of existence and this shows we are growing. We need to expand and opening a campus here in Blantyre is in line with our aspirations to expand to other areas outside Ndata,” Professor Malata added.
The MPC facility, which will now become MUST Blantyre campus is situated next to what used to be Multicounty Training Center behind Blantyre Museum.
MUST Vice Chancellor disclosed that the new campus will start operating by January next year upon National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) assessment.
She observed that the MPC facility which will soon turn into MUST Blantyre campus has what it takes to be a campus saying the facility has offices, classrooms and space for accommodation.
“We are looking forward to operate here because we want to expand, a good university need to be everywhere,” she added and disclosed that MUST has secured land near Kamphata in Lilongwe for Kamphata campus.
Maxwell Phiri sworn in as councilor of Chilaweni ward in Blantyre.
By Memory Kutengule Chatonda
Blantyre, August 10, Mana: Maxwell Phiri who worn in the recent Local Government Elections at Chilaweni in Blantyre Rural East Constituency has been sworn in as ward council to take up the responsibility of representing people in his area.
Phiri amassed 1,882 votes from a total of 3,864 votes cast during the by-elections held on July 22, 2024 emerging a winner over eight candidates who contested for the position of councilor for the Chilaweni ward.
Speaking at the swearing in ceremony at Blantyre District Council, District Commissioner, Alex Mdooko advised the newly sworn-in councilor to collaborate with fellow councilors, traditional leaders, and Members of Parliament to facilitate development activities in the in the district.
“We want you to build a good relationship with traditional leaders, MPs, and your fellow councilors so that together you can fulfill the wishes of the communities you are serving in areas of health, agriculture and education among others,” he said.
Mdooko also advised Councilor Phiri to live by the promises he made to the electorates during the campaign period.
Blantyre District Council Chairperson, Councilor Elson Dumuka advised Phiri to always embrace the spirit of hard work, patriotism, and servant leadership in serving the communities well.
After being sworn in, Phiri said was excited to be sworn in as a councilor for Chilaweni ward, pledging to serve people in the ward well irrespective of religion, culture, and political affiliations.
“I am geared to support the government in the implementation of various development activities such as construction of roads and health facilities to benefit the local citizenry,” he added.
Phiri who won the Chilaweni by-election on an independent ticket replaced late councilor, Carol Mdala of Democratic Progressive Party who died in March this year.
Phiri is expected to serve his term of office until July 23, 2025.
Vice President arrives in Kigali
By Roy Nkosi in Kigali, Rwanda
Kigali, August 11, Mana: Malawi’s Vice President, Dr. Michael Usi has arrived in Kigali Rwanda where he is expected to attend the inauguration ceremony of President Paul Kagame slated for Sunday at Amahoro Stadium in the capital.
Usi is representing President, Dr Lazarus Chakwera was met on arrival at Kigali International Airport by Rwanda’s Minister of Education, Claudette Irere and Malawi's Deputy High Commissioner to Tanzania and Rwanda, Deborah Mitawa.
“This visit is an opportunity to deepen and strengthen the cordial bilateral relations that exist between Malawi and Rwanda.
"On behalf of the President and the people of Malawi, we appreciate the invitation of President Paul Kagame to Dr. Lazarus Chakwera who has since delegated me," the Vice President said.
President Kagame was re-elected for a new term following a landslide victory in July's Presidential elections.
Inject more funds for Queens
By Tione Andsen
Lilongwe, August 11, Mana: Malawi Netball Teams, “the Queens” can claim its lost glory if funds are injected for early preparation and camping for the team.
Leeds Lionesses professional netballer, Joyce Mvula made the suggested Saturday at Gateway Mall Netball Court in Area 47 in Lilongwe in an internment with Malawi News Agency (Mana).
She admitted that the team’s performance has gone down in the recent past but this was due to lack of adequate preparation and camping.
Mvula said early camping was helping a lot and players were able to jerry well and formulate good combinations.
The Queens Goal Shooter observed that nowadays that the Queens, they only have one week of camping for big tournaments and the results are usually disastrous.
“When I was first called into camp in 2010, we used to be in camp for two months when preparing for big tournaments.” Mvula recalled.
She noted that teams like England, New Zealand, Jamaica and Australia have already started camping for 2025 Commonwealth games and 2026 World Netball cup.
“Look at the seriousness of the teams that we play with. If we are to progress, we need to emulate what our friends are doing too and then we will be at par with them. Netball Association of Malawi through National Sports Council need to support the Queens technical and financially,” Mvula explained.
She believes that, “In camp make the players happy and happy players win games always.”
Former Queens captain, Emmie Chongwe attributed to delays in injecting new blood into the team.
“We are taking long to replace our aging players and as result we are being caught up. We need to have a fine succession plan and more days of camping in order to develop our play. We have talent and the only way we can nature it is to scout it,” she said.
Mvula delivers sporting shoes
By Tione Andsen
Lilongwe, August 11, Mana: Provision of better sports equipment remains fundamental prerequisite to the development of any sport code in the country.
Leeds Lionessess in England and National Netball Goal Shooter, Joyce Mvula made the sentiments Saturday in at Gateway Mall Court in Area 47 when she presented assorted sporting shoes to Immigration Netball team which is playing in the Gateway Mall Central Region League sponsored by Mpico to the tune of K 40 million.
She said development of any sporting code starts with the essential basic equipment such as such balls, uniforms, whistles and playing surface.
“A well-wisher who opted to be named has collected and provided the fairly used shoes which has been donated to Immigration netball team,” Mvula disclosed.
The Leeds netballer added that, “Sometimes people would ask for assistance and I had just to ask some other few friends to help. I have collected the parcel and I have presented to Immigration netball team.”
She said her role was only to facilitate the delivery of the items to the intended beneficiaries which are Immigration netball team.
Mvula said playing on hard surface was prone to lots of injuries and wearing of sporting shoes help to curb some of them particularly in our country where most playing courts are made of hard surface.
Immigration Netball Coach, Aaron Gopani expressed gratitude to the well-wishers saying the donation would go a long way in improving the standards of play for her players.
He said playing shoes are one of the critical equipment most teams in the league are lacking and the coming of the shoes has narrow the gap his was facing in terms of equipment.
“I am hopeful that the donation will help to boost morale in my camp and the team will start doing betters in our league games,” Gopani added.
Chakwera calls for unity, hard work among MCP
By Hastings Yobe & Patience Longwe
Lilongwe, August 10, Mana: President for the Malawi Congress Party (MCP), who is also State President, Dr Lazarus Chakwera has thanked all party members who volunteered and donated for the party's convention.
The President said this on Saturday at Bingu International Conference Centre (BICC) during the closing ceremony of the party’s 2024 elective convention.
“I want to thank all party members who run small businesses all over the country but still decided to donate their income to support the convention because this is what is needed for the stronghold of our party,” said Chakwera.
Chakwera further urged the newly elected National Executive Committee (NEC) members to be hardworking, committed and work as a team.
“You should keep in mind that the people who have elected you are united, hardworking, lovers of peace and do not bring anything opposite to this. We respect the rule of law and not strength of individuals,” Chakwera said.
Newly elected Secretary General, Richard Chimwendo Banda, emphasized on the need for the new committee to work in unison in order to achieve better results.
“I strongly advise for peace to those who are in the party. We must work together even with those we were contesting against on the same seat we are on now. We must remember that we are children of the same family,” said Chimwendo.
Chimwendo also thanked the delegates for choosing what he called democratic leadership.
“This convention has proven that our delegates know what is best for the party because they have voted each position wisely,” said Chimwendo.
The MCP elective convention started on Thursday, August 8.
MCP Convention Reaches Climax as Events Near Conclusion
By Hastings Yobe
Lilongwe, August 10, Mana: The Malawi Congress Party (MCP) convention at the Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC) auditorium has reaching its climax, with musician Skeffa Chimoto setting the tone with soothing music as delegates await the commencement of today's events.
The highly anticipated events, expected to start shortly, will be graced by the presence of State President and MCP President, Dr Lazarus Chakwera.
Today's proceedings mark the finalization of all events held during the convention, resulting to the announcement of the official results for the party’s new National Executive Committee (NEC) by the Malawi Electoral Commission.
